Club Guide

Getting Started:

So you are thinking about giving 1/10th scale buggy racing a go at the FORCC? On this page you will find a list of all the basics you will need to get you going.

A 1/10th scale off-road RC buggy.

Radio control transmitter, receiver and steering servo.

A Stock Motor.

An electronic speed controller.

Batteries and Charger.

Tyres.

The Cars:

Let’s start by taking a look at the fun stuff first, the cars. The cars are 1/10th scale off road buggies. They come in two varieties, 2 wheel drive (2WD) and 4 wheel drive (4WD). Historically we have almost exclusively runs 4WD cars due to the nature of the polished floor surface we ran on. Now we have switched to running on astroturf, we expect the 2WD class to gain in popularity. Some of the cars typically seen at the club are shown below.

[metaslider id=142]

The best way to see what people are running at the club is of course to come and see for yourself. We strongly recommend visiting the club before spending any money. It will probably save you time and money in the long term…

Kits start at around £150.

Radio Gear:

The choice of radio gear is vast, but as long as you have either a 27MHz, 40MHz or 2.4GHz based radio, you will be ok at the club. Transmitters come in 2 basic styles, regular sticks and pistol grip.

Sanwa Exzes ZSpektrum DX3C

Everybody is different, so the choice is up to you. Prices range from about £40 to over £300. The £40 radios are fine for beginners. The expensive radios are nicer to use, but are full of features you just don’t need for this class of racing. Traditionally, radio control transmitters and receivers would need a matching set of crystals installed for the transmitter to talk to the receiver. This is the case with the 27MHz and 40MHz systems. The arrival of the 2.4GHz ‘Spektrum’ system has done away with all that. The system is digital and does not need crystals.

Along with your transmitter you will also need a Receiver and a servo. These will most likely be included with your radio set.

ReceiverServo

Pretty much any servo, which is used for your steering, will be fine for the beginner. As you improve though, you may want to consider replacing the servo with a faster model as this will give you quicker and more responsive steering. A fast servo will cost up to about £100.

Motors:

There are a large variety of electric motors available for model cars. In the polished floor era, motors were limited to 27 turn brushed or 13.5 turn brushless stock motors. With the switch to astroturf the motor restrictions have been changed. You may use down to and including a 7.5 turn mortor. You can use anything higher such as an 8.5T, 10.5T or 13.5T motor but 6.5T and below are not allowed.

7.5T Modified Motor

Motors range from about £30 to £70

Electronic Speed Controller:

Electronic Speed Controllers [ESC] start from about £40 for a basic model and go up to around £150 or more for a full competition spec version. The ESC is responsible for controlling the speed of the motor.

Speed Passion Revention ProHobbywing Xtreme Stock

Batteries:

Various battery technologies have come and gone over the years such as Nickel-Cadnium (Ni-Cd) and Nickle-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) but the cars are almost exclusivly powered by Lithium-Polymer (Li-Po) batteries now.

Li-Po Stick, Saddle and Shorty configuration

Li-Po packs cost from about £30 to £70 depending on configuration and capacity.

Charger and Equalisers/Balancers:

Chargers start from about £20 but can cost several hundred pounds for professional battery management systems. While many charges handle different types of cells, not all do so just make sure that the charger you get is suitable for you’re chosen cell type…

Charger

Tyres:

The club runs a championship control rear tyre in 2WD and 4WD. It is the Schumacher U6786 Block Tyre in the Yellow Compound. You don’t have to use it if you just want to turn up and race once in a while, but if you want to be included in the championship, you need to run the tyre. Front tyres are free choice.

Schumacher U6786 FORCC Control Tyre

Tyres are about £7 a pair.

Second Hand Gear:

The prices quoted here are only a guide to the cost of starting out with all new equipment. There is plenty of kit available on the second hand market if you know where to look for it. Your local model shop may sell 2nd hand gear or be able to offer a package deal on new equipment. We sometimes have 2nd hand gear available at the club. Online auctions are also very popular these days with the likes of Ebay having a very large RC section. Various online RC based forums have for sale sections which can also be a good place to pick up a bargain. If you find yourself in the right place at the right time, you could probably be up and running for around £200. We cannot emphasis strongly enough though, if you are thinking about trying the hobby, come and talk to us before you spend any money…

The Internet:

Obviously the internet is a great place to start if you’re looking for more information on the hobby so here are a few of places that are worth a look.